This invention relates to a planter which plants multiple seed varieties. More specifically, this invention is directed to a planter with multiple row units that transition from planting one seed variety to another without interruption and a method of using the same.
Traditional agricultural planters have been supplied with a single seed variety, wherein the selected seed consisted of whatever particular seed variety the farmer hoped to be the most suitable for the entire field that was to be planted. However, in recent years, developments in technology and science, including but not limited to the development of highly specialized seed hybrids, detailed soil analysis, and the integration of satellite/GPS navigation and mapping systems with agricultural implements, have transformed planting into a highly detailed and specialized enterprise. By utilizing such advances in science and technology, instead of selecting one particular seed variety to plant based simply upon the attributes of the seed itself, farmers wishing to optimize attributes of a crop in terms of yield and the like are able to determine and select which particular seed variety is most suitable to be planted in a particular part of a field based upon the attributes of the selected seed and the field conditions present in a particular part of a field. As a result, a need has arisen for a planting system which has the ability to transition between multiple types of seed varieties to deposit the seed variety that is most suitable in response to changing field conditions during planting.
Although planters have been developed with the functionality to plant multiple types of seed, existing planters suffer from numerous disadvantages. Namely, existing planters transition from one seed variety to another at the tank or seed reservoir which feeds various row units, and due to the amount of seeds that remain in cue in the seed hose feeding the row unit and the unit meter itself, existing systems thus lack the ability to transition from planting one seed variety to another with a high degree of precision, speed, and control. Furthermore, in addition to problems with accurate and controlled seed placement during changeover, existing planters experience difficulties such as skips in depositing seeds and gaps in rows during seed variety transition. Therefore, a need exists to provide a planter which plants multiple seed varieties that overcomes these problems.
Therefore, a principal object of the invention is to provide a planter which seamlessly and continuously transitions from one seed variety to another without gaps in the deposit of seeds.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a planter which transitions from one seed variety to another at a row unit to provide accurate seed placement.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a planter with multiple meters in a row unit, each of which fed by a separate tank and supplied with a different seed variety.
A further object of this invention is to provide a planter with meters which are actuated by an air clutch.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a controller to selectively activate and deactivate the meters to coordinate change from one seed variety to another prevent interruptions in the deposit of seeds while maintaining accurate placement of the desired type of seed in the desired location.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a non-horizontal belt beneath the meters to deposit seed into a seed tube and eliminate seed bounce.
These and other objects, features or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims.